Thursday, June 27, 2013

Google Play edition HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 First Look

The "Stock Android" HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 known as the new "Google Play edition" devices. They seem to have everything you could ask for: fast processors,
gigantic and beautiful screens, LTE, and (mostly) great hardware design.
But like their predecessors, they also come with a lot of extra
software you probably didn’t ask for.

The Google Play editions are running Android 4.2.2 (Build JDQ39). Home screens and launchers and notifications are unchanged from what we're used to in Jelly Bean, so far as we can tell in the first 24 hours. (Update: Ah. The app drawer has moved to a 4-by-5 configuration, same as the Galaxy Nexus.

Google found a way to get HTC and Samsung to offer those same phones
without their so-called “skins.” On the Galaxy S4, the carrier logo and the "Galaxy S4" logo have been
replaced by a simple, single "Samsung" logo on the back. HTC’s
"beatsaudio" logo remains, as this stock edition supports it.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC
One can now be purchased without their respective manufacturer
customizations for $649 and $599, respectively.

On the Galaxy S4, the carrier logo and the "Galaxy S4" logo have been
replaced by a simple, single "Samsung" logo on the back. HTC’s
"beats audio" logo remains, as this stock edition supports it. The Galaxy S4 has Google Wallet and Google Earth pre installed. The HTC One does not.